Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910), a bill to block EPA’s controversial backdoor climate change agenda

Leading Bipartisan Voices on Energy Policy Introduce Energy Tax Prevention Act, H.R. 910 Energy Tax Prevention Act in PDF FORMAT

March 3, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC – Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives today introduced the Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910), a bill to block EPA’s controversial backdoor climate change agenda that would further drive up the price of energy for American consumers and job creators at a time when gas prices are already spiking and job creation remains weak. The bill is narrowly drawn to clarify the EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act, preserving the law’s important and longstanding functions to reduce air pollution.

Introducing the bill are Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), in addition to others.

“Whether at the pump or on their monthly utility bills, American families, farmers, and employers feel the pinch when energy prices go up. The very last thing the federal government should do is make matters worse by intentionally driving up the cost of energy. Yet that is exactly what’s in store if the EPA moves forward with its plans to regulate and penalize carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act,” said Chairman Upton.

“The EPA is pursuing a dramatic shift in our nation’s energy and environmental policy that would send shock waves through our economy,” said Chairman Whitfield. “Setting the course of our energy policy is the job of Congress, not a single federal agency acting without authority. The Energy Tax Prevention Act is a sensible, straightforward plan to end the uncertainty and economic threat posed by the EPA’s climate change agenda.”

“The EPA needs to be reined in. If Congress does not do something about the regulations being imposed on our farmers, ranchers and rural communities, the economic effects could be devastating. This is the last thing we need when our economy is beginning to show signs of recovery,” said Ranking Member Peterson.

The text in PDF FORMAT of the Energy Tax Prevention Act is available online along with letters of support for the legislation from American Electric Power, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the National Association of Realtors, and the National Mining Association. ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: House Energy and Commerce Committee January 11, 2011 By Alexa Marrero, (202) 225-3641 or Sean Bonyun, (202) 225-3761 2125 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 | (202) 225-2927

Senators Coburn, McCain, DeMint, Ensign, Johnson, Paul, Lee, Ayotte Sign Letter Promising to Hold Unconstitutional and Fiscally Irresponsible Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ), Jim DeMint (R-SC), John Ensign (R-NV), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today sent a Dear Colleague letter in PDF FORMAT to all Senators announcing their intention to withhold unanimous consent, or “hold,” bills that fail meet the following criteria:

• All New Spending Must Be Offset with Cuts to Lower Priority Spending: Congress authorizes billions of dollars in new spending every year to create new or expand existing government programs. Yet, few bills are passed to eliminate outdated, duplicative, unnecessary, inefficient, wasteful, or low priority programs. To make government more efficient, any legislation authorizing new spending or creating a new agency, office, program, activity, or benefit or increasing the authorization of an existing function must offset the cost of this expansion by eliminating an existing program or function or reducing the authorized funding level of ongoing spending.

• Government Programs Must Be Periodically Reviewed and Renewed: Never ending government programs must end. Congress should periodically determine whether or not every government program is working as intended, is still needed, or is worthy of continued taxpayer support. To ensure this happens, any legislation establishing or continuing an agency, office, or program must also include a “sunset” date at which point Congress must decide whether or not to update or extend the life of the program.

• The Cost and Text of Bills Must Be Available Prior to Passage: Too many bills costing billions of dollars with far reaching implications are approved by the Senate with little debate, few if any amendments, and not even time to read the actual text of the legislation. To guarantee taxpayers and senators have sufficient time to read bills and information to understand their cost and impact, all legislation must be publicly available in an electronic format for at least three full days along with a cost estimate completed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) prior to being passed.

• Duplicative Government Programs Must Be Consolidated or Eliminated: Despite the existence of hundreds of duplicative federal programs costing billions of dollars, Congress continues to create new programs with similar missions, goals, and purposes. To reduce redundancy, any bill creating a new program that replicates a current government mission must consolidate overlapping activities or eliminate the existing programs.

• Congress Must Not Infringe Upon the Constitutional Rights of the People: Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress a very limited set of enumerated powers. Far too often, Congress infringes upon the rights and liberties reserved for the people and the states provided elsewhere in the Constitution. These overreaches are no more than an afterthought when most bills are debated. To restore the intended balance of powers between the states and the federal government and to preserve the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, all bills must have a clear and obvious basis connected to one of the enumerated powers and must not infringe upon any of the rights guaranteed to the people.

“Before we can get our fiscal house in order, Congress first has to stop making the problem worse. I’m pleased so many of my colleagues have agreed to withhold consent from bills that borrow and spend new money, duplicate existing programs, violate the Constitution or are not a legitimate role of the federal government. This week’s GAO report exposing widespread duplication in the federal government shows why Congress needs to eliminate programs that don’t work instead of creating new programs we don’t need, and can’t afford,” said Dr. Coburn.

“Each year, the federal government washes billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain through wasteful and duplicative spending. This waste is even more unconscionable in the present economy, as American families and businesses are struggling financially,” said Senator John McCain. “I am pleased to join my colleagues in working to implement simple, commonsense practices in the Senate to reduce wasteful and unnecessary spending.”

“The problem in the Senate isn’t that we’re not passing enough legislation, it’s that we’re passing so many new spending bills and regulations with little review or debate,” said Senator Jim DeMint. “I’m proud to stand with my fellow conservative Senate colleagues to require thorough review of bills to prevent secret passage of wasteful spending and unconstitutional legislation. Our nation is on the edge of bankruptcy and we simply cannot afford more borrowing from foreign nations to spend on programs we don’t need.”

“These gross duplications in federal programs and agencies, along with billions of dollars in binge spending increases, are crippling the present and future of the United States,” said Senator John Ensign. “The GAO report underscores the great negligence of the federal government when it comes to managing hard-earned taxpayer dollars and further highlights the need for Congress to get our fiscal house in order. The time has come for the government to get its act together: decrease its size and increase its effectiveness so that it does what we need it to do not just what some want it to do.”

“This year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, we will spend 1.65 trillion dollars that we don’t have. That is a huge amount of money and a huge problem. It is a problem we must start to address. The letter I have signed - initiated by Senator Coburn - is just a very common sense approach to beginning the process of reining in the out of control spending and debt. We need to hold the federal government accountable. Families are not able to spend beyond their means; Washington certainly shouldn’t be able to do so either,” said Senator Ron Johnson.

“The American people deserve better from their federal government,” said Senator Mike Lee. “By holding bills that spend irresponsibly and overstep the proper role of the federal government, we can begin to rebuild their trust and make Congress more transparent and accountable. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues who agree that this wasteful, irresponsible spending must stop.”

“The status quo in Washington is unacceptable. Rather than continue to create new government programs, we must tighten our belts in Congress and live within our means like families do,” said Senator Kelly Ayotte.

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TEXT CREDIT: Tom Coburn, M.D., United States Senator from Oklahoma Washington D.C.: 172 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Main: 202-224-5754 Fax: 202-224-6008